Access Control List

(A-C-L)

A method (usually a table) that defines to a computer system who has access to what. An ACL can control access to the computer itself down to access to specific files on the computer; and, these permissions can determine specific access rights, such as if a user can read from, write to, or perhaps execute an object. Entries in the table are sometimes called access control entries (ACE). Different operating systems have different methods of implementing an ACL.

More Information

• Wikipedia Access Control List Page
• Java Security FAQ